The birth earlier this month of Eva Hunt-Gilbert, pictured in the arms of her mother Susan Hunt, proved to be a first for both Carbonear General hospital and the mom. - Contributed

CARBONEAR, N.L.

Susan Hunt says she would have been fine with giving birth to a fourth son, but deep down the Green’s Harbour resident was hoping it would be a girl.

“The boys would have been happy with a little brother, no doubt, but it all worked out,” Hunt told The Compass during a recent phone chat.

Indeed, everything worked out fine for Hunt and her spouse Denis Gilbert, as the family went from five to six in the early hours of Jan. 4. Hunt was the first mother of 2019 to give birth to a baby at Carbonear General Hospital, welcoming to the world Eva Deliah Grace Hunt-Gilbert at 1:17 a.m. The healthy newborn girl was born with a weight of seven pounds and eight ounces.

There’s a bigger gap between Eva and her youngest sibling than any of the three boys — Wilson (11), Liam (nine) and Josh (seven). Hunt is now in her 40s and said it was the family’s intention with this pregnancy to try and have a daughter.

“We said we’d give her one more try,” she said.

Her due date was Jan. 5, so Eva’s birth was just about right on time. There were no complications to speak of with the birth, nor was there any challenging early-January weather to contend with in getting to the hospital. Hunt arrived at the hospital on the morning of Jan. 3.

Although Hunt knew well in advance of going to the hospital there was a girl inside her belly, there was still a mild sense of disbelief surrounding the birth of Eva.

“I cried,” she said. “I couldn’t believe it — even though I had three ultrasounds done and they all said it was a girl. When they handed her to me I said to Denis, the dad, ‘Is it a girl? Let me look.’ Because I couldn’t believe that I finally got her.”

She was completely surprised after the fact to learn Eva was the hospital’s New Year’s baby. Since leaving the hospital, the family of six has settled nicely into home life. Hunt gives credit to her two older boys for also pitching in to help with looking after the needs of their little sister.